The Uruguay and Liverpool striker was suspended for the rest of the tournament and from “all football activity”, including the start of next season.

He was also hit with a stadium ban, preventing him from attending any match anywhere in the world during his four-month ban, and was fined 100,000 Swiss francs (£65,702).

The Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) quickly announced it would contest the verdict but Fifa confirmed it would not allow him to play in Uruguay’s World Cup last-16 match against Colombia on Saturday pending the outcome of any appeal.

The 27-year-old was banned for what was the third biting offence of his career, which took place in Uruguay’s final Group D game against Italy on Tuesday, when he sunk his teeth in to the shoulder of Georgio Chiellini.

The ban means he will not be able to play for Liverpool for the first 10 weeks of the English season. His first game back could be away at Newcastle United on November 1.

It could also scupper his hopes of forcing a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid this summer, both sides having been heavily linked with an £80 million-plus move for the striker. However, the player will be able to seek a transfer during the time of his ban.

Fifa said in a statement: “Luis Suarez is suspended for nine matches and banned for four months from any football-related activity.

“The Fifa disciplinary committee has reached a decision in the case related to Luis Suarez of Uruguay following an incident that occurred during the Fifa World Cup match between Italy and Uruguay played on 24th June 2014.

“The Fifa disciplinary committee has decided that the player Luis Suarez is regarded as having breached article 48, paragraph one, of the Fifa disciplinary code and article 57 of the Fifa disciplinary code, which is an act of unsporting behaviour towards another player.

“The player Luis Suarez is to be suspended for nine official matches. The first match of this suspension is to be served in the upcoming Fifa World Cup fixture between Colombia and Uruguay on 28th June 2014.

“The remaining match suspensions shall be served in Uruguay’s next Fifa World Cup matches, as long as the team qualifies, and/or in the representative team’s subsequent official matches, in accordance with article 38, paragraph 2a, of the Fifa disciplinary code.

“The player Luis Suarez is banned from taking part in any football-related activity, administrative, sport, or any other, for a period of four months, in accordance with article 22 of the Fifa disciplinary code.

“A stadium ban is pronounced against the player Luis Suarez, in accordance with article 21 of the Fifa disciplinary code as follows: the player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium during the period of the ban; the player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium in which the representative team of Uruguay is playing while he has to serve the nine-match suspension.

“The player Luis Suarez is ordered to pay a fine in the amount of 100,000 Swiss francs.

“The decision was notified to the player and Uruguayan FA this morning.”

The chairman of Fifa’s disciplinary committee, Claudio Sulser, added: “Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch and, in particular, not at the Fifa World Cup, when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field.

“The disciplinary committee took into account all the factors of the case, and the degree of Mr Suarez’s guilt in accordance with the relevant provisions of the code.”

Fifa declined to confirm whether Suarez would also be forced to undergo psychological help as part of his sanction.

Liverpool Football Club has released the following statement in response to the Fifa Disciplinary Committee's decision regarding Suarez.. Ian Ayre, chief executive officer, said: "Liverpool Football Club will wait until we have seen and had time to review the Fifa Disciplinary Committee report before making any further comment."

Britain's FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce, from Northern Ireland said: "I think the punishment handed out by FIFA to Luis Suarez is fully justified. Hopefully he will realise now that behaviour of this type will not be tolerated under any circumstances."

AUF president Wilmar Valdez said: “We are preparing our appeal now, we have three days to do it.

“It is an excessive decision and there was not enough evidence and I have seen more aggressive incidents recently.

“It is a severe punishment. I don't know exactly which arguments they used but it is a tough punishment for Suarez.

“It’s feels like Uruguay has been thrown out of the World Cup. We all know what Suarez means to Uruguay and to football around the world – not having Suarez would be a loss to any team.”

The Uruguayan government also branded the sanction “disproportionate”.

Uruguayan officials and media had branded the backlash against Suarez as an English, Italian and Brazilian conspiracy on Wednesday.

His appeal will be heard by Fifa’s appeal committee, chaired by Larry Mussenden of Bermuda, and should it uphold the verdict, he could lose more than just his ability to play.

Boot supplier adidas, who warned the player about his conduct after he bit Branislav Ivanovic last year, said: “Adidas does not condone Luis Suarez’s behaviour and we will again be reminding him of high standards we expect from players.

“We have no plan to use Suarez for any additional marketing activities during the 2014 Fifa World Cup.

“We will discuss all aspects of our future partnership directly with Suarez and his team following the World Cup.”

Suarez is also an ambassador for online bookmaker 888poker, producing several video diaries during the World Cup as part of that role.